Why do penguins stay underwater so long?

Penguins can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes at a time. Penguins are great swimmers and spend their lives in the open ocean hunting underwater.

Can Penguins Breathe Underwater?

Unlike fish – birds cannot breathe underwater. Birds – like mammals – breathe air and haven’t yet evolved a way to breathe underwater. Even though penguins and other seabirds spend their lives at sea catching fish, jellyfish, krill, and other aquatic life – they still need to return to the surface to inhale air.

However, they do have special adaptations that allow them to do this for longer than other birds. Penguins have taken to actually living in the ocean – rather than just flying into to catch fish or simply floating on the top. To do this they have evolved many specialist body-parts:

Streamlined bodies: Penguins have changed shape to be more hydrodynamic – torpedo-shaped

Specialist feathers: Penguins feathers are short and mobile – allowing them to trap air and stay warm

Solid bones: Unlike other birds that have hollow bones to fly – penguins have heavy bones to help them sink?

Swimming goggles: Penguin’s eyes have a protective layer to help them see more clearly underwater

Pockets of air; Birds bodies have air sacs as well as lungs so can hold more air when needed

Clever circulation: Penguins can re-direct heat in the body away from skin to help keep the blood warm during deep dives

All in all – penguins swimming, diving and feeding in cold water and at great depth – have everything they need already onboard.

How Long Can Penguins Stay Underwater?

With all these adaptations – how long can penguins stay underwater on average? Well, the answer for average dives is not really much longer than a human. Sorry.

Most penguins don’t really dive for more than a minute or two at a time – because most can feed at the surface as this is where their food is. On an average day when food is plentiful – they just dip up and down – feeding freely.

However there are times when they need to go deeper and for longer.

Larger penguins such as the Emperor and King penguins (both around 1m tall) feed on food that tends to live lower in the water column and so deeper dives are essential. Once they find a patch of food they can go up and down directly to the source. However, in times of difficulty or hunger – they have been recorded underwater for over 27 minutes in one single dive! Wow. They have also been found at around 550m deep too by scientists.

Other penguins such as Gentoo and Yellow-Eyed penguins are often seen feeding on the ocean floor – feasting on crustaceans. Depending on their environment this extends dive times somewhat – and isn’t seen at all in other locations. These recordings show how varied penguins can be in their survival techniques.

Can Penguins Drown?

Penguins are so adept at their watery lives that drowning under normal conditions is extremely unlikely. Even during the worst weather, they are equipped to cope with giant waves, heavy rain, and icy-cold water.

They can hold their breath incredibly effectively – and like most sea mammals – can find shelter in places that would seem unlikely to save a human. Penguins also have a thick layer of blubber to keep them warm in the worst of places – and unless there are predators better at it than they are – they can ride out most storms.

Due to the way that they can leap out of the water onto land several feet above the water’s surface – they could hop out anywhere too. Jumping onto land is easy – but they can also easily leap out onto floating ice sheets and huge icebergs if needed. These temporary platforms can often put them at greater risk than finding solid ground though because predators could be circling – but sometimes these are their only option.

If, however, they became injured or trapped by fishing equipment or litter in the ocean – then all their adaptations could fail them. Accidental death at the hands of humans is one of the biggest killers of ocean wildlife. And as there is a huge amount of litter in the oceans – this is becoming more and more of a problem for seabirds like penguins.

Penguins can dive up to 500 m deep in the water, but how long can penguins stay underwater? The answer varies from different species and the weather conditions under which the penguins are making the dive. There are several other factors that come into play when you want to know about the diving duration of penguins. In this article, we are going to take a look at some factors that decide the diving duration of penguin and why penguins are such accomplish divers.

Emperor penguins can dive for up to 25 minutes when they are hunting for krill or fish under the water. According to records, Emperor Penguins dives have been measured up to 1,755 feet (535m) deep. Here are some biological advantages that penguins have over other birds when it comes to staying underwater.

Streamlined Bodies – Penguins have streamlined bodies that are perfect for diving deep into the water to great depths. Mostly penguins hunt for fish close to the surface of the water, but as more penguins hunt in an area and there is a lack of availability of fish, penguins can dive deeper and hunt for food.

Heavy Bones – Unlike other birds that have hollow bones, penguins have solid bones, filled with marrow that makes them heavier than hollow bird bones. As penguins cannot fly, their heavy bones help them in diving deeper into the water and staying down for a long period of time.

A Layer of Blubber – The water in the Antarctic region can get extremely cold, but penguins have a defense against the cold water in the form of blubber that helps them survive the cold. The layer of blubber under their skin also helps them to save their organs from the underwater pressure as they dive deeper.

Protective Feathers – Penguins have an extensive layer of tightly packed feather on their body that helps them survive the cold weather of the Antarctic by trapping in air under the small feathers. This air also acts as insulation when penguins dive deep into the water. Another use of the air bubbles is that penguins can shuffle their feathers to create a layer of air around them that helps them to exit the water quickly. This quick exit puts penguins out of the reach of any predators that might be lurking near the surface.

Effective Use of Oxygen – Penguins can regulate the oxygen in their body to give them the maximum benefit. Penguins divert the oxygen from their body to just the heart and the brain. This allows penguins to dive deeper for a longer period without getting fatigued. Their body continues to supply oxygen to their body parts as needed.

Powerful Flippers – Penguins cannot fly, but they have evolved to develop powerful flippers that allow them to dive deeper with less effort. In fact, their underwater swimming motion makes it look like they are flying in the water. Also, their flippers are shaped in a way that makes it easier to move them through the water for explosive propulsion. Flippers and webbed feet are the primary forces that give penguins deep diving abilities.

Energy Management – While diving, penguins can manage their energy levels so that only the most necessary body parts are given priority. In fact, penguins can lower their heartbeat to three to five beats per minute to save energy while diving. Their blood also has excessive hemoglobin which enhances the oxygen transportation properties of the blood.

Conclusion

If you consider the question how long can penguins stay underwater? The answer is anywhere from 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the penguin. Smaller penguins will definitely have trouble staying underwater for long, but larger penguins can breathe more and dive deeper because of their size and blubber deposits.

Penguins mostly hunt for fish near the surface, but as global warming impacts the availability of fish and krill, they have to work harder for food. This means diving deeper and for more extended periods, for which penguins are well-suited.

We hope this article was able to answer all your questions regarding the diving time of penguins. What do you think about the duration of dive of the penguins? Do share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section.

References

https://phys.org/news/2013-09-emperor-penguin-minutes-reveals.html

http://www.planet-science.com/categories/under-11s/our-world/2011/03/penguins—extreme-divers.aspx

https://io9.gizmodo.com/5800860/how-do-emperor-penguins-survive-underwater-long-after-their-oxygen-should-be-depleted

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